If the state does not address the issue of registering public interest under the Ski Resorts Law for Cmiljevica within the next month, preparations for the upcoming winter season will likely be impossible. It will be too late to begin in October, just as the first snow may arrive.
Dejan Guberinić, one of the owners of the Lokve Ski Center near Berane, shared this concern with RTCG, expressing frustration over the unresolved issue.
- The ski slopes have become overgrown. This needs to be cleared and prepared now, in August and September. I don’t want to deal with this and argue with neighbors, while the state, which could resolve this quickly, remains indifferent – Guberinić said.
The Guberinić brothers from Berane, whose older brother runs a private care facility in Switzerland for the elderly and recovering individuals, established the Ski Center Lokve in Montenegro about ten years ago.
Their plans were ambitious. They aimed to create not just a ski center but also to revive summer mountain tourism. They envisioned building a new long cable car from the hotel to the top of Cmiljevica, reaching over 1,800 meters above sea level, which they had been actively planning.
Their goal was to attract international clients, particularly from Switzerland. The older brother, Dragan, had previously brought tourists for trips around Cmiljevica, who were impressed by its pristine nature.
However, issues arose with landowners who contested the use of their land for ski resorts and even put it up for sale.
The Guberinićs are not seeking financial aid from the state; they only request that the issue of registering the ski resort be resolved.
- No one has paid attention to us or attempted to help all these years, which is disheartening. We don’t want to take anyone’s land; we just want it to be declared a public interest so it can be used during the winter season – Dejan explained.
He is puzzled by how Ski Center Lokve was built over forty years ago during the SFRY era, including the cable car, yet now there are no documents about it.
Public sentiment in Berane agrees with the Guberinićs’ belief that such documents must exist and that state authorities may need to get involved.
The Lokve Ski Center, with its namesake hotel, is located at an elevation of 1,350 to 1,800 meters. The hotel is situated right next to the main road from Berane to Rožaje.
Opened in the early 1980s, it was a period of prosperity. It was a newly discovered gem, especially for tourists from Vojvodina, who, along with locals, developed a weekend settlement nearby.
It managed to operate during the 1990s amid crisis and hyperinflation until the first privatization, when Euroturist GMBH proved to be irresponsible. After much struggle, the ski center was sold to Russian Alan Alikov, who also failed to deliver on his promises.
The Guberinić brothers, emotionally attached to the mountain and Berane, purchased the center with plans to restore its function and bring back its former beauty and recognition on Montenegro’s and the region’s tourist map.
Although Jelovica mountain, with a new road to Jezerine and Kolašin, has become more attractive, many locals, especially those who built vacation homes and hospitality facilities on Cmiljevica, want this ski resort to remain operational. Last year, the Montenegrin government allocated funds to asphalt the road from the main road to the top of the main ski slope, vacation homes, and hospitality facilities.
For many locals, these mountain areas are more attractive than Bjelasica. However, Bjelasica is becoming a mega project, while Cmiljevica remains a cherished symbol of the ski resort in Berane.
The only issue is that urbanization, which seems senseless, is occurring before the public’s eyes. The so-called “Hidden,” once famous for training children and beginner skiers, is being closed off with new buildings. Some have been marked with construction bans by inspectors, but the damage is already done.
All of this will be irrelevant in winter if Dragan Guberinić loses patience and gives up. Even if it snows, all the facilities at the top of the ski center will be useless without a cable car and will serve no purpose during the winter season.
